The Climate of Sport

Claire Poole

The Climate of Sport is your weekly fast-take on the biggest stories in sport, through the lens of forces reshaping the game. From extreme weather to sustainability, and the business realities behind it, we break down what’s happening, what it means, and why it matters for sports organisations, athletes, leagues, sponsors, investors, fans and participants. Sport is entering a new era. Climate impacts are already affecting how events are played, scheduled, and delivered, while sustainability is becoming central to governance, funding, and commercial strategy. For those working in the sport ecosystem, investors, and leaders, understanding these shifts isn’t optional, it’s essential. This podcast gives you the context behind the headlines and a front-row seat to the biggest changes shaping the future of sport. Subscribe and download now. Get in touch at: hello@theclimateofsport.com, our website www.sportpositive.org/podcast or via our socials.   #TheClimateOfSport #SportPositive 

  1. 5d ago

    World Cup Woes, Waste-Laden Waterways & Wimbledonisation

    This week's episode features a diverse Climate Hat Trick, exploring three hot stories at the intersection of climate impacts and the future of sport in football, watersports, and tennis. Subscribe to the Sport Positive Brief: www.sportpositive.org Register for Sport Positive Summit 2026: www.sportpositivesummit.com /// This week's Climate Hat-Trick stories: Story 1 - FIFA men's World Cup 2026 kickoff and environmental roundup Dallas whale mural painted over for FIFA World Cup artwork, artist threatens legal action - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDiukzvGKsw Artist suing FIFA over destruction of Dallas whale mural before World Cup: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wyland-lawsuit-fifa-dallas-whale-mural-world-cup-rcna348362 FIFA bans fans bringing water bottles into World Cup stadiums: https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/48963581/fifa-bans-fans-bringing-water-bottles-stadiums-world-cup Story 2: "I might be a mutant now." Sport in polluted waters Postcards From the Future: Polluted Sport in a Changing Climate: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01937235261450152 Surf, sewage, survival – young athletes on the frontline of climate change: https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/news/surf-sewage-survival-young-athletes-on-the-frontline-of-climate-change/ Story 3 - Wimbledon hits Central Park The All England Club Brings Grass Court Tennis Stateside: https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/the_all_england_club_brings_grasscourt_tennis_stateside_with_the_wimbledon_court_in_central_park_new_york /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateOfSport #SportPositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #sustainability #FIFA #WorldCup #FWC #watersport #waterways #pollution #Wimbledon #NYC #NewYorkCity #tennis #CentralPark Support the show

    20 min
  2. Jun 4

    Ugo Monye on mental health, fitness and the Same Side campaign

    Today, Claire is joined by Ugo Monye, former England international rugby player, sport broadcaster and ambassador for Same Side, a campaign by UN Women UK to redefine "what being a man is right now". Together, they explore masculinity, fitness, mental health, social media, and the role sport can play in shaping the next generation of young men. This week's Climate Hat Trick brings you to Patagonia, Paris, Brisbane and Colombia! ‘It’s insane’: How climate change is having an impact at Roland Garros - https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/28/sport/climate-change-impact-roland-garros-heatwave Same Side UK - https://campaign.unwomenuk.org/same-side /// This week's Climate Hat-Trick stories: Story 1: The performance challenges for every World Cup team 2026 World Cup: Climate Change Boosts Performance-Impairing Heat at Nearly Every Match - https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/world-cup-matches Story 2: Patagonia vs Pattie Gonia Pattie Gonia speaks out - https://www.instagram.com/p/DY2L725tVow/ Pattie Gonia speaks out part 2 - https://www.instagram.com/p/DY-fD9oBW9Z/ Patagonia's post - https://www.instagram.com/p/DZB1zAYlJJo/ Heated - Can Patagonia™ own Patagonia? - by Emily Atkin https://heated.world/p/can-patagonia-own-patagonia Story 3: Broncos, Barca and blemished business backers Rio Tinto's sacred Indigenous caves blast scandal - https://www.reuters.com/article/business/rio-tintos-sacred-indigenous-caves-blast-scandal-idUSKCN2AV0OU/ Report reveals Rio Tinto knew the significance of 46,000-year-old rock caves six years before it blasted them - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-05/rio-tinto-knew-6-years-ago-about-46000yo-rock-caves-it-blasted/12319334 Broncos: A New Play For A More Sustainable Future In Sport - https://www.broncos.com.au/news/2026/05/29/a-new-play-for-a-more-sustainable-future-in-sport/ Barcelona, the oil business, and sportswashing allegations in the Amazon - https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7288023/2026/05/27/barcelona-oil-amazon/ /// Subscribe to the Sport Positive Brief: www.sportpositive.org Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateOfSport #SportPositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #FIFAWorldCup #FWC2026 #FIFAWC #PattieGonia #Patagonia #BrisbaneBroncos #Barcelona #sportsbiz #sustainability #climatechange #UgoMonye #UNWomen #Rugby #masculinity #mentalhealth #manosphere Support the show

    53 min
  3. May 28

    Stadium Power, Supercharged Athletes & Sweltering Heat

    The name of the game this week is adaptation. So what's the climate and sport link between the United Nations, having its World Cup moment, the Enhanced Games taking centre stage and heatwaves reshaping sport competitions across the globe? Claire tells all in this week's Climate Hat Trick. Subscribe to the Sport Positive Brief: https://www.sportpositive.org/#newsletter Register for Sport Positive Summit 2026: www.sportpositivesummit.com Enter the Sport Positive Awards 2026: www.awards.sportpositivesummit.com /// This week's Climate Hat-Trick stories: Story 1: UN Climate chief meets the World Cup moment Simon Stiell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/simon UN Climate Change Reel - https://www.instagram.com/p/DYwsX61DSAJ/ UN climate chief: "Clean energy is the antidote to fossil fuel cost chaos" - https://unfccc.int/news/un-climate-chief-clean-energy-is-the-antidote-to-fossil-fuel-cost-chaos UN Climate Chief at NY Climate Week: Defining the New Era of Climate Action; Getting Behind Paris and Stepping it up at COP30 and Beyond - https://unfccc.int/news/un-climate-chief-at-ny-climate-week-defining-the-new-era-of-climate-action-getting-behind-paris-and Story 2: The Enhanced Games Who beat a world record at the Enhanced Games? - https://youtube.com/shorts/KImz59IZVME?si=qbDQpVHaOdtY9nn8 Enhanced Games are finally here - causing dismay and intrigue - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cj0p1p67v56o England train in tents to mimic 2026 World Cup heat - sources - https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/45440232/england-train-tents-mimic-2026-world-cup-heat-sources Story 3: Cities are rehearsing for deadly heat. Will it help when disaster comes? - https://grist.org/cities/cities-are-rehearsing-for-deadly-heat-will-it-help-when-disaster-comes/ French Open starts amid a grueling heat wave in Paris - here’s how hot it’ll get - https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/sport/french-open-heat-wave-paris-temperatures-b2982745.html Jackets off at Lord's - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/23/jackets-off-at-lords-as-britain-swelters-in-heatwave/ A Well-Adapted UK Report - https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/a-well-adapted-uk/ /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateOfSport #SportPositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #sustainability #UnitedNations #FIFA #WorldCup #stadiumbusiness #renewableenergy #sportsbiz #enhancedgames #heatwaves #RolandGarros #LordsGround #MaryleboneCricketClub Support the show

    21 min
  4. May 21

    Heat, Horses & Hardwood

    Claire is back with this week's Climate Hat Trick, exploring three hot sport stories at the intersection of climate risk, technology and sustainability. This week's big three covered FIFA World Cup 2026 heat concerns, an AI-generated equestrian campaign and Africa's first FSC-certified timber stadium. Claire also breaks down some greenwashing guidance and tips that are affecting sports organisations. GARFIELD Greenwashing webinar: https://garfield-eu.org/event/webinar-kick-out-greenwashing/ How Sport Can Avoid Accidental Greenwashing: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok /// This week's Climate Hat-Trick stories: Story 1: When it comes to heat, FIFA really cannot say they weren't warned. World Weather attribution- https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-change-big-player-at-fifa-world-cup-2026/ Revealed: Tuchel plans to combat extreme World Cup conditions from players’ living rooms - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/03/31/thomas-tuchel-plan-combat-extreme-world-cup-conditions/ What is Wet Bulb Globe Temperature? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jstHHkm_6vQ Clinicians' Open Letter - https://www.newweather.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Open-Letter-to-FIFA-on-Heat-Stress-Player-Welfare-Fossil-Fuel-Conflicts-of-Interest.pdf Athletes' Open Letter - https://www.cooldownclimate.org/latest/players-open-letter-fifa-world-cup-4yhl3 Amy Steele: ‘Heatstroke ended my professional netball career’ - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0g4v8vq Story 2: Horsing around with AI lands like a hoof to the face. Big dreams deserve a big stage - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2052745902309424 The green paradox: The climate, environmental, and sustainability implications of artificial intelligence - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950138525000178 High hay prices 'leaving horses malnourished' - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9yz4j52n2o Story 3: Wood you believe it? A stadium made of trees. FSC stadium of life - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anCPXzYD0Fw Westhills stadium - https://www.rubner.com/en/references/timber-construction/westhills-stadium/ Forest Green Rovers stadium - https://www.fgr.co.uk/news/zaha-hadid-architects/ Fukushima stadium - https://www.dezeen.com/2025/09/04/fukushima-united-football-stadium-vuild/ /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateofSport #sportpositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #FIFA #WorldCup #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #StadiumBusiness #Lesotho #greenwashing Support the show

    17 min
  5. May 14

    Solar Sprints, Ghost Travel & Sinking Cities

    On this week’s episode, Claire unpacks how sport, climate and public perception are becoming impossible to separate. Lessons from David Attenborough: LinkedIn / Instagram We are on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky and YouTube. Subscribe to the weekly Sport Positive Brief here. /// This week's Climate Hat-Trick stories: Story 1 - India Run for Sun https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYExBcZDVu_/ Story 2 - Atletico Madrid guilty of negligence over ridiculous empty bus antics https://www.football365.com/news/atletico-madrid-guilty-negligence-bus-antics Atletico Madrid Season 2024-25 Sustainability report: https://en.atleticodemadrid.com/pdf/sustainability_report_24-25_atm.pdf Story 3 - Mexico x FIFA World Cup Mexico to shorten school year due to World Cup and heatwave: https://www.dw.com/en/mexico-to-shorten-school-year-due-to-world-cup-summer-heat/a-77101994 Mexico reverses plans to end school year early for World Cup and high temperatures: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7272345/2026/05/12/mexico-world-cup-schools-heat/ Mexico is sinking: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/05/climate/mexico-city-sinking-nasa-aquifer-water /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateOfSport #SportPositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #sustainability #India #RunforSun2026 #AtleticoMadrid #football #soccer #LaLiga #Mexio #FIFA #FIFAWC #FIFAWorldCup #FWC2026 Support the show

    19 min
  6. May 7

    Stronger Together: Inside a Billion Dollar Climate Movement with Kate Williams

    Today, Claire is joined by Kate Williams, CEO of 1% For the Planet. They chat about all things leadership, resilience, and the power of collective climate action From "runfluencers" to an unexpected voice behind a major report and other news, Claire unpacks what’s really happening in the world of sport and why it matters from a climate perspective in the Climate Hat-Trick. National Emergency Briefing - https://www.nebriefing.org/peb /// 1% For the Planet - https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/ 1% FTP members: https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/membership Vermont Green FC - https://vermontgreenfc.com/mission/ Dry Robe - https://dryrobe.com/ /// This week's Climate Hat-Trick stories: Story 1: Hurdles to a hobby: How climate change and ‘runfluencer’ culture impact our daily jog - https://theconversation.com/hurdles-to-a-hobby-how-climate-change-and-runfluencer-culture-impact-our-daily-jog-279537 Story 2: Can Green Clay Tennis Courts Help Save the Planet? - https://www.si.com/onsi/serve/news/can-green-clay-tennis-courts-help-save-the-planet Story 3: New Report Warns World Cup Hotel Boom May Fall Short of Expectations - https://www.ahla.com/news/new-report-warns-world-cup-hotel-boom-may-fall-short-expectations /// Subscribe to the Sport Positive Brief: www.sportpositive.org Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateOfSport #SportPositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #sustainability #climatechange #running #influencers #tennis #football #report #FIFA #World Cup Support the show

    50 min
  7. Apr 30

    Yellow Card Amnesty, Smarter Stadiums and Making the Cut

    This week's episode features a diverse Climate Hat Trick, exploring three hot stories at the intersection of climate change, sustainability, and sport. From FIFA's impending yellow card policy to new and renovated stadium builds and the NFL draft, Claire breaks down the latest news in sport through a climate lens. Subscribe to the Sport Positive Brief: www.sportpositive.org REMINDER: Join us online on 30 April 2026 for the People's Emergency Briefing: A Special Screening For Sport. Reserve your spot for free: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/sportpositivesummit/2155375 /// This week's Climate Hat-Trick stories: Story 1 - FIFA World Cup Yellow Card https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7235588/2026/04/27/fifa-world-cup-yellow-card/ Story 2: Football Stadium Plans Brighton & Hove Albion https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/48618258/brighton-announce-plans-uk-first-purpose-built-women-football-stadium / Camp Nou - https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/04/27/barcelonas-camp-nou-rebuild-puts-economic-environmental-sustainability-at-the-forefront/ Story 3 - The NFL Draft Record numbers - https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/2026-nfl-draft/2026/04/28/nfl-draft-recap-visit-pittsburgh/stories/202604280083#:~:text=By%20the%20draft's%20close%20on,outcome%2C%20Mr.%20Bachar%20said. Local news reporting on tree felling - https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/1rqgai7/100_trees_will_be_removed_to_make_room_for_nfl/ /// Send us the questions you want us to cover in future Ask Me Anything episodes to hello@theclimateofsport. #TheClimateOfSport #SportPositive #greensports #sportsforclimateaction #sustainability #FIFA #WorldCup #stadiumbusiness #sportsbiz #BHAFC #CampNou #NFL #sports Support the show

    20 min

About

The Climate of Sport is your weekly fast-take on the biggest stories in sport, through the lens of forces reshaping the game. From extreme weather to sustainability, and the business realities behind it, we break down what’s happening, what it means, and why it matters for sports organisations, athletes, leagues, sponsors, investors, fans and participants. Sport is entering a new era. Climate impacts are already affecting how events are played, scheduled, and delivered, while sustainability is becoming central to governance, funding, and commercial strategy. For those working in the sport ecosystem, investors, and leaders, understanding these shifts isn’t optional, it’s essential. This podcast gives you the context behind the headlines and a front-row seat to the biggest changes shaping the future of sport. Subscribe and download now. Get in touch at: hello@theclimateofsport.com, our website www.sportpositive.org/podcast or via our socials.   #TheClimateOfSport #SportPositive 

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